Word to the Wise

Words are essential to human vocabulary. Webster's dictionary has done a good job keeping up with all of these tidbits that convey our messages. Recently Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary added a new word, "fanboy". This immediately caught my attention as I was channel surfing.

The definition according to Merriam-Webster Online is "a boy who is an enthusiastic devotee (as of comics or movies)". That pretty much describes it. So, after reading about the definition of "fanboy" I decided to try "fangirl".

No luck. So I tried a different source, Urban Dictionary.com. While reading the definitions, some made good points. Like "a passionate fan of various elements of geek culture (e.g. sci-fi, Star Wars, video games, anime, Magic: the Gathering, etc.), but who lets his passion override social graces. "

After reading over different definitions of "fanboy" (most were derogatory), I got brave and decided to search for "fangirl".

They were defined as "1. (derogatory) a female fan, obsessed with something (or someone) to a frightening or sickening degree. Often considered ditzy, annoying and shallow.
2. (playful, good-natured) less extreme, a female fan who can laugh at their own passion for their particular interest (or even obsession)."

Do I think this is accurate? Sadly, there have been some fangirls that I have encountered that were crazy or definition #1. I, myself, fall into definition #2. I know that I become easily obsessed with different "nerd" things. But I am NOT ditzy, annoying or shallow.

I am impressed that Merriam-Webster has finally began to define words that may not be correct English, but used daily.